Window shade



June 23, 1931. c. N.' BEHM 1,810,899

WINDOW SHADE Filed'M'arch25j1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNEYS 1&-24

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June 23, 1931- c. N. Boal-1M 1,310,899'

WINDOW SHADE Filed March 25, 1929 v 2 Sheets-SheetI 2 IN VEN TOR.

Patented `lune 23, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL NORMAN BOEHM, OF WASHINGTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WOODWEB SHADE MANUFACTURERS, INC., OF WASHINGTON, NEW JERSEY, A.' CORPORATION F NEW JERSEYV WINDOW SHADE Application filed March 25, 1929. Serial No. 349,584.

My invention relates to window shades, and has for its object the production of an improved shade, adapted more particularly forindoor use, although capable of use as f an outdoor screen.

It is quite common in the construction of factories and other buildings for business use to pivot a windowsash on a central horizontal axis, so that when it is opened, it eX- tends for a considerable distance into the room. My improved shade may be applied to a window having a pivotal 'sash as described, in such manner that the sash may be opened or closed without contacting with the shade, and the latter may be raised or lowered without contacting with the sash even though the same is in its fully open position. n

I am aware that devices have been heretofore designed for such use, but such devices have made use of shade members which roll up from the bottom and complicated and unsightly guides composed of front and rear 'members spaced apart to receive the end portions of the shade.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to doaway with roll-up shades and guides adapted to receive portions thereof, vto use a shade of the folding type, and to Y support the same by a guide without spaced members and of very simple construction in such manner that the shade is securely held against displacement andvmay be raisedrand lowered with very little frictional resistance.

Various other details of construction are also included within the scope of the invention as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings of which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a shade and shade support constructed lin accordance with my invention, and applied to a window frame; i

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same ;A Y

Fig. 3 is a portion of Fig. 2 showing the shade in folded position;

Fig. 4A is an enlarged detail view in perspective of a portion of the shade fabric, with guide ring secured thereto;

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged sections on lines 5-5 and 6 6 respectively of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a moded form of shade applied tov the same form of guides as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is aside elevation of the same;

Fig. 9 is a portion of Fig. `8 showing the shade in folded position;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged front elevation of a portion of the shade of Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 is a similar view of a second modification in which the guide engaging member is in the form of a looped rod or wire; 11Fig. 12'is a section on line 12-12 Yof Fig.

Fig. 13 is a similar view'of a third modiiication;

Fig. 14 is an enlargedv perspective view of a fourth modification; y

Fig. 15 is a side elevation'lof a fifthY modiiication; d o

Fig. 16 is a side elevation showing. the shade of Fig. 2 applied to a window in which the pivotal sash is below the center of the Window; and

Fig. 17 is an enlarged section of the lower portion of the shade of Fig. 15.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, the shade is al flexible and foldable. structure composed of of spaced guide engaging'rings 5, the tapes being arranged in' the Vrear'of the shade and being looped at intervals to partly surroundk one of the staves 2 as shown at 6, Fig. 4, whereby the tapes are firmly Aunited to the shade. Each vof the guide rings 5 enclosesV and is held by one of the loops 6.

The shade 1 is supported by aV transverse bar 7 which is preferably of wood and may n be secured to the upper frame. member 8 of the window-frame by any suitable means, for eXample,^screws-9. Ardownwardly opening recess or slot 1() is formed in the bar` 7 into which the lupper end of theshade 1 is inserted and secured by nails 14.

The lower end of the shade is inserted into an upwardly opening recess or slot 11 formed in a bar 12, preferably of wood and secured therein by nails 14. y

The means for guiding the shade and supporting the same against lateral as well (as in and out movement comprises two or more distance, and in order that suclr sash andV the shade may be moved into any position without contacting withY onev another, the guide rods 13 arev bent into arcuate form as shown. VVhilethe guide rods 13 may have any desired form of cross section, I

prefer to make use of latrods as shown inY Fig. 4. Such rods of soft steel and in straight lengths are carried in stock b hardware dealers and can readily be shaped to it any window. In case the pivotal sash is central ofthe window, as in Fig. 2, itv

is necessary merely to cut from stock a rod of suitable length andfasten the upper end thereof to the bar 7. 'Ihe lower end is then raised into proper position and secured to the lower frame member '17. The rod k13 assumes the arcuate form shown as its lower end is raised into position. l f

In case it is desired to form an'arcuate section which begins at a substantial disp tance from one end of the rod, as for exam- Y Y 22 to :fixed guide 23, thence Ydownwardly to ple where the pivoted sash vis below 'the center of the window, as shown in Fig. 16, it is necessary merely to form a sharp `bend in the 'rod as at a, whereupon, by securing its upper and lower ends asabove described, the rod assumes and retains the form shown in full lines. By reason of its 'flattened cross section, the rod 13 has great resistance to lateral bending stresses. p

' The position normally occupied by the shade under the action of gravity is that shown in Figs. V1 and 2, and in order tok elevate lthe shade to the position of Fig. 3 or any intermediate position, I provide a pair of tension members such as cords 20. One

end of each cord is secured to a screw` eyer 21 which is threaded inthe bar 12.- ,The cords `pass thenceupwardly throughfthe aligned rings 5, thence through screwe'y'es a position where the handle 24 may be readily grasped. It should be noted that as'the shade is' elevated by the cords 20, itis held` against being rolled up and the compacting of the rings 5 causes the shade to form a series of folds as shown in Fig. 3. In order to reduce the frictional ,resistance of the shade against such upward movement, rollers 30 are rotatably mounted in brackets 31 secured to the bar- 12 inssuch position as to bear against the rear or inner surfaces of the guide rods 13, see Fig. 6.

Another means for reduci-ng such frictional resistance is shown in Figs. 15 and 17 and consists in providing gthe bar-12 with inwardly extending eyes 32 to which the cords 20 are secured. Thesecords are interior to the shade andare guided by aligned rings 33 secured thereto in any suitable manner and extendingV inwardly therefrom' asvshown. Upper screw [eyes 34 are vprovided for' enabling the cords 2O to be vbrought out horizontally from behind the shade, thence downwardly as in Fig.,1.V This type of shade'with cords 20 interior thereto offers less frictional lresistance to upward ymove#t ment than 4the type in which the cord is exterior to the's'hade, for example, Figs. 1 to 4, and such resistance maybe further. reduced by providingthebar 12 with rollers 30 rotatably mounted inbrackets V31 carried by said bar.v These rollers bear respectively against outer and inner surfaces of the 'guide rods fIf desired, the'v inner roller 30 may be omitted. 'i

The structure of Figs'f'? to'10 differs from, that of Figs. A1 to {Ginerely as regards the' means bywhich thezshade is supported by the guide rods V13. In the structure of Figs.

7 to 10, the shade 1 is provided with two or more rows of small bushingsp25 whichrin spaced relatlon toeach'other are secured to the staves 2. The guide rods'13 and cords cords 20, theloops of the various rods be'- ing in vertical alignment.

VIn Fig. 13 I have shown a fragment of' a metal rod 26 which is mounted inthe shade in exactly kthe samevmanner as the rodv 26 and diferstherefromonly inthe manner in .y which it is bent to form aloop forreceiv-Y ing the rod 13 and cord 20. In the deviceV of F ig. 13vthe loop 27 is formed as shown and the rod. 26" and loop 27 lie in a. single plane as distinguished fromthe y'loop 27.

which is of helical form.. In Fig. 1 4 I have. shown a desirable construction in which the guide engaging .rings lherein disclosed are the fact that the shades fold instead of rolling up, whereby single rods may be used as guides instead of front and rear members spaced apart, and furthermore, by reason of the threading of the guide rods through the small apertures of the guide engaging members, the shade is securely held against lateral movement and against flapping back and forth against spaced guides and the production of unpleasant rattling noises is thereby avoided.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

l. In a device of-the class described, a shade support having inner and outer plane vsurfaces and a downwardly opening slot, a shade composed of flexibly united transverse members, the upper end of said shade being secured within said slot, and guide rods having flat end portions secured to the outer surface of said support.

2. A shade comprising horizontal staves, flexible cords interwoven therewith, and one or more series of guide engaging members secured by said cords in alignment with each other.

3. A shade comprising horizontal staves, flexible cords interwoven therewith, and a series of rings in alignment with each other, each of said rings enclosing said cords.

4. In a device of the class described, guide rods supported at top and bottom and arcuate therebetween, a foldable shade having aligned guide engaging means through which said rods are threaded, and flexible tension means threaded through said guide engaging means for folding said shade.

5. In a device of the class described, guide rods supported at top and bottom and arcuate therebetween, a foldable shade having aligned guide engaging means through which said rods are threaded, and the lower edge of said shade having anti-friction rollers engaging said rods.

6. In a device of the class described, a plurality of guide rods secured at their upper and lower ends and having arcuate portions extending therebetween, a shade V'comprising transverse, flexibly united memshade is restrained against lateral movement,

Vthe width of said openings being slightly in excess of that of said rods.

7. In a device of the class described, a window having upper and lower transverse frame members and a horizontally vpivoted section disposed substantially equi-distant therefrom, arcuate guides secured at their ends to said frame members and having sufricient curvature to permit pivotal movement of said pivoted section, a folding shade comprising transverse, flexibly united members and apertured guide engaging members through which said arcuate guides are threaded, adjacent guide engaging members being separated from each other by more than two transverse members, and shade lifting means co-operating with the lower end of said shade and with said upper frame member.

8. In a device of the class described, a window having upper and lower transverse frame members anda horizontally pivoted section disposed substantially equi-distant therefrom, arcuate guides secured at their ends to said frame members and having sufficient curvaturel to permit pivotal movement of said pivoted section, a folding shade comprising transverse, flexibly united members and apertured guide engaging members through which said arcuate guides are threaded, adjacent guide engaging members being separated from each other by more than two transverse members, and shade lifting means passing through said apertures and co-op'erating with the lower end of said shade and with said upper frame member.

9. In a device of the class described, a plurality of thin, flat, guide rods secured `at their upper and lower ends and having arcuate portions extending therebetween, a shade comprising transverse, iexibly united members and guide engaging members secured to certain of said transverse members, adjacent guide engaging members being separated from each other byv more than two transverse members, said guide engaging members having openings through which said guide rods are threaded, whereby the shade is restrained against lateral movement, the width of said openings being slightly in excess of that of said rods.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name hereto.

' CARL NORMAN BOEI-IM. 

